Sanofi Pasteur launches first full-dose DtaP- IPV booster vaccine in India for preschoolers - Times Now

Sanofi Pasteur launches first full-dose DtaP- IPV booster vaccine in India for preschoolers - Times Now
Polio drive only in high-risk zones - The Tribune India
40% of children are not fully vaccinated, says NSO report - The Hindu

Posted: 30 Sep 2020 07:29 PM PDT

Sanofi Pasteur launches first full-dose DtaP- IPV booster vaccine in India for preschoolers

Key Highlights

Booster vaccines are designed to boost the immunity acquired during prior vaccination, says the company

Tetraxim is a 4-in-1 booster vaccine and the only inactivated poliomyelitis containing combination vaccine in India that has full-dose antigenic strength of diphtheria, etanus and acellular pertussis for preschoolers

Mumbai: Sanofi Pasteur India, the vaccines global business unit of Sanofi, on Wednesday announced the launch of a booster vaccine, Tetraxim (DTaP-IPV), for preschoolers. The booster vaccine provides protection against four major diseases - diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and polio.

Tetraxim combines four vaccines into one, thus, reducing the number of injections, increasing comfort and improving vaccination compliance for children and reducing parental anxiety, the biopharmaceutical company said in a press release. As immunity against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis wanes over time, it is important to ensure necessary protection by being up to date with booster vaccinations.

A vaccine containing full-dose antigens stimulates adequate immune response with better tolerability. This ensures preschoolers receive the right vaccine with the appropriate antigen content at the right time and have sustained protection against disease.

With Tetraxim, Sanofi Pasteur currently protects school children in more than 100 countries, with 63 million doses distributed worldwide.

"Booster vaccines are designed to boost the immunity acquired during prior vaccination. It works as a reminder for a child's immune system and can also stop the spread of infection to their siblings and grandparents, making it important to maintain vaccination schedules of preschoolers," Annapurna Das, country head, India, Sanofi Pasteur, said.

The Indian Academy of Pediatrics, an association of Indian pediatricians, recommends full-dose DTaP for preschoolers.

With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe.

Right vaccine, right time

Delaying or missing vaccinations means children are unprotected for longer than they need to be, often at the time when they are most at risk of illness and serious complications from diseases. The timing of vaccine doses is carefully chosen based on years of research to help protect children at the right time. To ensure complete protection, children should follow the vaccination schedule and ensure that the appropriate dose vaccine is administered.

Posted: 19 Sep 2020 06:39 PM PDT

Our Correspondent

Gurugram, September 19

Owing to the rising Covid numbers, the Gurugram administration has restricted the pulse polio drive to high-risk zones only.

The Health Department will start the pulse polio campaign for three days from Sunday. Polio vaccine will be given at booths on Sunday while home-to-home campaign will be on Monday and Tuesday.

The Health Department has reduced its target by 70 per cent due to Covid. However, it might be difficultfor the department to complete the target of 30 per cent in three days.

As per officials, this time the department will provide polio vaccine to only 80,000 children while it was administered to 3 lakh children earlier. The Health Department reduced the target because most of their employees were busy with Covid duty.

Dr Virender Yadav, Chief Medical Officer, said: "All preparations for the polio drive have been completed and employees have also been deployed. However, this time the target has been reduced to 30 per cent due to Covid. Polio drops will be given only in the high-risk areas."

The Health Department identified 550 booths in the high-risk zones, where polio vaccine will be administered to children from 9 to 5 pm. Under this campaign, 2,000 health officials will be on duty to achieve 30 per cent target of polio vaccine.

40% of children are not fully vaccinated, says NSO report - The Hindu

Posted: 08 Sep 2020 12:00 AM PDT

Although almost all children in India are vaccinated against tuberculosis, and receive their birth dose of polio vaccine, two out of five children do not complete their immunisation programme, according to the 'Health in India' report recently published by the National Statistical Organisation (NSO). Most of these children remain unprotected against measles, and partially protected against a range of other diseases. In the national capital, less than half of all children have been given all eight required vaccines.

40% of children are not fully vaccinated, says NSO report

The report is based on the 75th round of the National Sample Survey (July 2017-June 2018) on household social consumption related to health.

Across the country, only 59.2% of children under five years are fully immunised, according to the NSO report. This contradicts the Centre's Health Management Information System portal data, which claimed that full immunisation coverage for 2017-18 stood at 86.7%.

Full immunisation means that a child receives a cocktail of eight vaccine doses in the first year of life: the BCG vaccine injected in a single dose shortly after birth, which protects against a childhood attack of tuberculosis; the measles vaccine; the oral polio vaccine (OPV) whose first dose is given at birth, followed by two more doses at intervals of four weeks; and the DPT/pentavalent vaccine, generally injected in three doses, which is meant to protect a child from diphtheria, pertussis or whooping cough, tetanus, Hepatitis B, and meningitis and pneumonia caused by hemophilus influenza type B. Booster doses for OPV and DPT are also given between 16 and 24 months.

Also read: NSO report shows stark digital divide affects education

About 97% of children across the country received at least one vaccination — mostly BCG and/or the first dose of OPV at birth — a statistic that remains steady across income groups and geographies. However, only 67% of children are protected against measles. Only 58% got their polio booster dose, while 54% got their DPT booster dose.

Also read: Doctors wary of BCG vaccine study

Among States, Manipur (75%), Andhra Pradesh (73.6%) and Mizoram (73.4%) recorded the highest rates of full immunisation. At the other end of the spectrum lies Nagaland, where only 12% of children received all vaccinations, followed by Puducherry (34%) and Tripura (39.6%).

The vast majority of these vaccinations — 95% in rural India and 86% in cities — were carried out in government health facilities and primary health centres which will be the same facilities used to distribute and administer the COVID-19 vaccine whenever it is made available.

The pandemic has already impacted the childhood vaccination programme, however, with an April 2020 study conducted by the advocacy group Child Rights and You finding that only half of Indian families with children under five years were able to access immunisation services during the lockdown.

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